User-guided semi-automatic navigation of a mobile medical device

Abstract

A mobile medical device is driven by a chassis. The movement is brought about, or at least supported by, at least one drive. A direction influencing device varies the direction of movement. Both the drive and the direction influencing device may be activated by a control device. End stations and paths leading to the end stations, as well as a current position of the device, are known to the control device. The control device accepts a drive request from an operator and establishes an at least approximate desired direction of the movement. The control device activates the drive while accepting the drive request and activates the direction influencing device to drive the device on one of the paths while accepting the drive request and while the current position of the device is approximately on the path. Furthermore, the control device continuously updates the position of the device during movement.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of operation of a mobile medical device, the mobile medical device including a chassis by which the mobile medical device is driven on a floor within a building, at least one drive configured to move, or support movement of, the mobile medical device, a direction influencing device configured to vary a direction of travel of the mobile medical device, and a control device configured to activate the at least one drive and the direction influencing device, wherein a number of end stations and a number of paths leading to the end stations are known to the control device, wherein a current position of the mobile medical device is known to the control device, and wherein the method comprises:
 accepting, by the control device, a drive request from an operator;   establishing, by the control device, at least an approximate desired direction of movement by evaluating the drive request;   activating, by the control device, the at least one drive only while the control device is accepting the drive request;   activating, by the control device, the direction influencing device to drive the mobile medical device on a path among the paths while the control device is accepting the drive request and while the current position of the mobile medical device is located at least approximately on the path; and   continuously updating, by the control device, the current position of the mobile medical device during movement of the mobile medical device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control device evaluates an effect, on a first power grip of the mobile medical device in a horizontal direction, of the drive request in the horizontal direction and having a force above a first minimum force. 
     
     
         3 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the control device evaluates an effect, on the first power grip in a horizontal transverse direction, of a request for a change in direction of the movement with a force above a second minimum force, wherein the control device activates the direction influencing device accordingly, and wherein the horizontal transverse direction is orthogonal to the horizontal direction. 
     
     
         4 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the control device evaluates an effect, in a horizontal direction and on a first power grip and a second power grip of the mobile medical device, of a drive request in the horizontal direction and with a first force and a second force above a first minimum force, wherein the first power grip and the second power grip are spaced horizontally from one another when viewed orthogonally to the horizontal direction, and   the control device evaluates an effect on the first power grip and the second power grip in the horizontal direction, of a request for a change in direction of the movement with the first force or the second force above the first minimum force, and the control device activates the direction influencing device accordingly.   
     
     
         5 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, when the mobile medical device encounters a path while driving at an angle that is less than or equal to an acute limit angle, the control device automatically determines the direction in which to drive the mobile medical device on the path. 
     
     
         6 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, in case of a fork and in absence of a request for a change in direction as a further path beyond the fork, the control device automatically selects a path for which driving on said path corresponds to a minimum change in direction. 
     
     
         7 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control device brings about, or at least supports, movement on the path, taking into account limit values for temporal derivations of the current position of the mobile medical device on the path, wherein the limit values vary along the path. 
     
     
         8 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 while the mobile medical device is being driven, the control device continuously accepts information about an environment of the mobile medical device,   the control device evaluates the information about the environment to determine whether an obstacle is located on the path, and   in the event of an obstacle on the path, the control device automatically plans a diversion route by which the mobile medical device drives around the obstacle and on the diversion route.   
     
     
         9 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, when a minimum distance to an end station is not reached, with a simultaneous movement towards the end station, the control device either sets an activation of the direction influencing device to drive on the path or drives towards the end station on the path when the control device is no longer accepting the drive request. 
     
     
         10 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to accept a request for reversal of direction, and turn the mobile medical device by 180° about a vertical axis based on the request for reversal of direction. 
     
     
         11 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein
 the control device accepts a specification of an end station to be driven to, and   building on the current position of the mobile medical device and the end station to be driven to, automatically establishes which path leads from the current position to the end station.   
     
     
         12 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control device accepts at least one of the end stations or the paths in a learning mode by a teach-in. 
     
     
         13 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the control device, building on the paths specified by the teach-in, undertakes a smoothing of the paths. 
     
     
         14 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the control device accepts positions at which the mobile medical device is parked, but that are not end stations, stores the positions, and accepts a position as an end station when the mobile medical device is parked at the position a threshold number of times. 
     
     
         15 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein, with regard to the positions at which the mobile medical device is parked, the control device also stores associated routes to the positions and accepts the associated routes as paths when the positions are accepted as end stations. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program for a control device of a mobile medical device that includes a chassis by which the mobile medical device is driven on a floor within a building, at least one drive to move, or support movement of, the mobile medical device, and a direction influencing device configured to vary the direction of travel of the mobile medical device, wherein the control program comprises machine code that, when processed by the control device, causes the control device to carry out the method as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         17 . A control device of a mobile medical device including a chassis by which the mobile medical device is driven on a floor within a building, at least one drive configured to move, or support movement of, the mobile medical device, and a direction influencing device configured to vary the direction of travel of the mobile medical device, wherein the control device is configured to carry out the method as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . A mobile medical device, comprising:
 a chassis by which the mobile medical device is driven on a floor within a building;   at least one drive configured to move, or support movement of, the mobile medical device;   a direction influencing device configured to vary the direction of travel of the mobile medical device; and   the control device of claim  17 , wherein the control device is configured to activate the at least one drive and the direction influencing device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein, when a minimum distance to an end station is not reached, with a simultaneous movement towards the end station, the control device either sets an activation of the direction influencing device to drive on the path or drives towards the end station on the path when the control device is no longer accepting the drive request. 
     
     
         20 . The method of operation as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the control device accepts positions at which the mobile medical device is parked, but that are not end stations, stores the positions, and accepts a position as an end station when the mobile medical device is parked at the position a threshold number of times.